PURGATORY
by Mmjohns
Summary: a 100 story, will be, choose your own path, by comment voting, combined voting here and on my AO3


div style="direction: ltr; border-width: 100%;"  
div style="direction: ltr; margin-top: 0in; margin-left: 0in; width: 7.6041in;"  
div style="direction: ltr; margin-top: 0in; margin-left: 0in; width: 7.6041in;"  
p style="margin-top: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; font-family: 'Calibri Light'; font-size: 18.0pt; color: #2e74b5;" /p  
p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 8pt; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"As Clarke watches the village burn around her she is reminded again of the most painful of truths, a truth she had never taken into her heart until now, in this life we are always alone, no one can help us, none can fight our battles for us and those that do eventually die anyway. She stands in the burning ruins of Ark, the main village of the Skaikru. Hidden atop the tallest mountains and buried beneath a hidden glacial outgrowth the village had remained safe and secure for generations, only those born there knowing how to find it, that ended the day her mother had challenged the Azgeda Kwin Nia. Nia had sought to end the coalition, to take over and Clarke's mother had found out. The Skaikru were famed amongst the clans for their warriors, their skill in battle unmatched, their weapons and armour the like of which had been unseen since before the Great War lending unequalled strength to the Warriors./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"Clarke was never meant to be a warrior, she was never meant to be a killer, but the siege changed all that. For three years they were besieged by the Azgeda in that time the need for warriors grew, Clarke with her training as a Fisa was an excellent candidate for the ranks of the assassins. Her knowledge of anatomy giving her an advantage over the other recruits, after all, the knowledge so effective at healing can soon be turned to killing. And so it was with Clarke, her ability to heal soon turning her into one of the most efficient killers of the Skaikru. As she stands there the billowing smoke surrounding her she makes a decision. She has nothing left to lose, everyone she knows, everyone she has ever cared about has been taken from her, burnt to ash as her life has been, there she stands an empty shell. Only a single thing keeps her from snapping completely, a band around her arm slowly counts down to zero, it rests now at 28 days 3 hours and 14 minutes. Her soulmate timer, a design by her friend Raven, Raven who had been slaughtered as she fled with the rest of Clarke`s friends, Raven whose brilliant mind had been their salvation many times over, killed as she attempted to lead the children and injured out of the burning city./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"The people of the coalition all knew that one day they would meet their soulmate, it was simply a matter of staying alive long enough to do so. Raven had grown tired of this and created the band Clarke now wears, it counts down steadily to zero and in the years since she had invented them, they had seldom been wrong. But now Clarke finds herself considering what this really means, she has a duty to her people, Nia had slaughtered them like animals and burned them like trash, she must be made to pay, jus drein jus daun. But can Clarke truly live with herself knowing she has the opportunity to live, to meet her soulmate, to maybe share a life together? Can she live with the knowledge of throwing that all away?/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"The faces those she had lost, her family, her friends, the children that played down the street plague her and she makes her decision, she will do this, for them she will make her way to the city of Toront in Azgeda, and there she shall kill the Azplana in single combat. As she turns, she looks over the devastation once more allowing it to fill her, to enter her soul and steady her for what is to come as she leaves she mutters a final goodbye before heading into the snow. "may we meet again, my friends."/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"The trip to Toront way long and perilous, along the way she was attacked numerous times by the Azgeda soldiers she leaves none alive instead leaving their eviscerated corpses as a warning to any following her. Entire patrols lie dead in her path as she nears the city walls. In the 5 days that had passed, she had slaughtered many of the Azplana`s warriors. The people of the clans' whisper about an ethereal being a warrior ghost; the spectre of a slaughtered people seeking revenge for all those taken and they were only half wrong, after all, she was not a ghost yet. /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"The city walls were tall and solid, with but a single entry, for many this would have been the end, unable to pass the walls they would have faltered there, but not Clarke. She had grown up in the craggy canyons of the mountains, used to the rough-hewn rock faces of the mountain crags and canyons, making short work of the sentries she quickly ascends the walls before making her way to the Azplana`s citadel./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"As she walks toward the entry many attempt to stop her yet, she bears a veritable arsenal of blades and other small weapons, and they quickly fall to the flick of her wrist as a knife buries deeply within their hearts and throats. When she finally walks through the doors, she finds the Azplana seated on her throne a smug look on her face as a servant feeds her grapes./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" Without hesitation, Clarke moves into the chamber calling "Nia Kwin kom Azgeda, ai Klarke kom Skaikru challenge you for your rights to lead."/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"The Azplana laughs "ha, Skaikru, I killed them all, what makes you think you can beat me."/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;""because I have before," Clarke says throwing back the hood that had been hiding her face/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"The Azplana chokes on a grape as Clarke reveals her face quickly drawing her weapon and moving down the stairs "you dare to challenge me assassin, so be it I will cleave your head in two."/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"Around them, the people in the chamber move to the side, desperately making sure they aren't caught in the middle of the challenge. Clarke watches as the Azplana advances, she draws her sword from her side, a katana passed down from generation to generation bathed in the fires of the apocalypse never had she held a sharper blade./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"As Nia reaches her she swings quickly for Clarke's head, her anger countering any training she had as Clarke quickly and elegantly slips beneath the blade. Finding herself within Nia`s guard she quickly slices, putting a cut all the way down Nia`s right leg causing her to practically collapse when the severed tendons fail to support her weight./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" As Nia falls, she sweeps out the pain and anger clouding her judgement as she swipes at Clarke's legs. Clarke quickly dances away responding with a sweeping cut across Nia's wrists, the flesh falling away as the blade cuts like a hot knife through butter./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" As Nia struggles to remain upright she screams at those around her "don't just stand there, help me god dammit."/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"When no one steps forward, Clarke laughs "seems even your own people hate you, any final words."/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"Nia spits out "rot in hell you bitch."/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"Clarke looks her dead in the eyes "you first" and her blade comes around cleaving the Azplana`s head from her shoulders. Those around her fall to their knees, and there is a solid boom of ain Kwin as they all bow before her/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"It takes two weeks before she is sure of her rule over the Azgeda, she quickly seeks to undo the damage Nia had done over the years taking to the library and Nia's personal quarters reading missives about nearly everything. She quickly puts an end to the former Kwin`s plans against the coalition, standing down the armies and instead bringing them back to help the people ready for the coming winter. Many of the advisors were promptly removed and replaced by those who could actually do the job, Nia had been fond of sycophants in her court, they were easier to control even if they were totally useless./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" The people had quickly come to love their new Kwin, many realising that unlike Nia Clarke had no desire to be an overbearing control freak, happy she was to leave them to run their day to day business. As day 18 approached, she receives a messenger from the Commander requesting she attend Polis as soon as possible. Apparently, word of her actions had spread, many becoming aware of Nia`s death. As she readies to leave she finds Roan, Nia`s son and a former prince in exile he had quickly proven to be a wise and thoughtful leader and Loyal to a fault./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" She has decided to leave him as the acting regent, he will follow her orders knowing well that it is the best for his people in her absence he shall make a fair and just ruler. After all, it had never been Clarkes intent to rule the Azgeda, and she had grown to hate the cold over these long years/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"As she rides to Polis Clarke can't help but be amazed at the beauty she sees, she passes the glowing Forrest watching as butterfly's flutter between the trees, their wings dancing on the breeze. She sees the oceans of the Flowkru and in the distance their massive trawlers combing the ocean for the ever elusive seafood. When she passes the Trikru forest, she can't help but be amazed at the beautiful timbers and game running throughout. She even sees a Trikru harvesting party cutting down one of the trees with a massive saw felling it to provide the lumber needed for the winter./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" And yet when she arrives above the plains of Polis she finds herself lacking the words to describe the beauty before her. The rolling hills covered in brilliant green grasses, the paddocks studded with cattle and deer and then right in the middle Polis. A city built of brilliant white stone, with walls a hundred feet high and a hill in the centre where the commander's palace sits, an iridescent white tower topped by a burning brazier. She has truly never before seen such beauty as the sun sets slowly in the background./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"As she grows closer, she decides to make camp for the night pulling out her bedroll and curling up beside the road. As she drifts off toward sleep, she glances at her timer 16 hours and 44 minutes./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"When she wakes the next day the sun has already risen, she quickly breaks up camp before heading for the city, as she draws closer to the walls the outer gates open letting her into a small holding area. A guard saunters overlooking bored as he asks who she is, the moment he sees the Azgeda royal crest on her saddle, however, all sluggishness is gone as he quickly moves back to open the gates for her. As she makes her way through the gates, she dismounts handing her horse over to a young stable hand to take to be cared for./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"As she walks the city streets, she raises her hood, long since used to the anonymity it provides. The people around her go on with their daily lives, children play and spar with each other in the streets and traders peddle their wares. As she walks toward the palace, she can't help but admire the beauty of the city, cobbled together from pieces of the old world the city seems mismatched, but it merely adds to its charm. Soon enough the commander's tower looms in front of her, the massive edifice standing strong and proud. As she steps toward the entrance, she finds her way blocked by a number of the commander's guard./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"She slowly peels back her hood before speaking, "I am Clarke kom Skaikru, Kwin kom Azgeda, I answer Heda's summons."/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"The guards before her laugh, not believing this is the much feared and respected Gona Kwin of Azgeda. Growing quickly tired Clarke draws forth a bag from her sack before removing Nia's bloated head, her unseeing eyes still fixed in hatred./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"The guards quickly quieten at seeing Nia's head in the hands of the Gona Kwin before bowing their heads and stepping aside to allow her entry. As she steps through the gates, Clarke looks to the timer on her wrist seeing it has gone blank symbolising she is in her final hour before she meets her soulmate because in the immortal words of Raven "it's no fun if you know exactly when you're going to find them."/p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"As she enters the palace halls, she is surprised by the lack of people as she turns and makes her way toward the ascension elevator she notices that what she had assumed to be empty halls and corridors simply appeared that way because none dared show themselves to her./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" As she steps into the elevator, she feels a pulling in her stomach, almost as if something is drawing her toward the commander's floor./p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;" /p  
/div  
/div  
/div 


End file.
